A Blog about Education Abroad

Category: Study Abroad Advice

  • Michaela Spence at the University of Adelaide, Australia

    Michaela Spence at the University of Adelaide, Australia

    I was elated to hear that I had been chosen by the SU International Office to attend a Summer School course at the University of Adelaide. Travel presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from other cultures and develop one’s perspective of the world while having plenty of fun along the way, so I knew that my month in Australia would be a memorable experience.

    Pre-departure

    While it is easy to become preoccupied with impending exams before your departure, early preparation is essential for a stress-free application process. Flights tend to be cheaper if booked further in advance, and it is worth trying to find the best deal, as getting to Australia is quite pricey. Summer School students who will be studying for less than three months need only apply for an ordinary tourist visa, through the VFS Global Agency on Long Street in Cape Town. While applicants are encouraged to upload their application online on the Australian Home Affairs website, I would recommend rather submitting a paper application in person at the VFS office, as this enables you to choose the time and date of your appointment on the agency website, and have your biometrics taken during the appointment. If you apply through Home Affairs, you are given a pre-determined appointment time that might not suit your exam schedule! The agency is extremely busy, so book your appointment as soon as possible, provided that you have sufficient time to compile all of the required documents. While it is bound to be a bit of a mission, I found the visa application process to be straight-forward. It is an electronic visa, so you can keep your passport after the appointment, and my visa was granted within two weeks. Everyone at the International Office is very helpful; don’t hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it.

    Be aware that the Adelaide term dates differ significantly to Stellenbosch, so most of the Summer School courses run when the Stellies semester has already begun. Make arrangements to miss a couple of weeks of varsity in Stellenbosch or be careful to choose one of the earliest courses. Stellenbosch University is ahead of the game in more than one way, particularly when it comes to admin and setting course dates – Adelaide University only release the final Summer School course dates in the first week of December, by which time you are likely to have booked your flights and accommodation. Make sure that you book flexi-flights which can be changed, in case the dates of your course are altered. Remember to pack a travel plug adapter as well as a two-prong adapter to charge electronics, and make sure you have your student card with you, to qualify for the concession prices on the excellent public transport systems.

    I am fortunate to have old school friends living in Adelaide, so I chose to arrive a couple of weeks early to spend time with them and thoroughly explore the city and surrounding areas. Even if you don’t know anyone at your destination, I would recommend arriving early to make the most out of your journey before academics begin, and to recover from jetlag. The eight-hour time difference is no joke!

    Time in Adelaide

    As we descended towards Adelaide airport, the pilot commented on the spectacular view of the South Australian coastline. Gazing out of the window at the beauty of the fiery orange sunset, I couldn’t help but think of the rampant bush fires and the devastation that the country is experiencing. Fortunately, the city itself has thus far been safe, but in the surrounding hills the ground is black and charred. Something that struck me during my stay was the resilience of many people during this difficult time and their willingness to band together to support those who have lost everything to the fires, and those who are risking everything to fight the fires.

    Adelaide is a friendly, cosmopolitan city that has much to offer. During my time there, I went hiking in Waterfall Gulley, strolled along the River Torrens, and scaled Mount Lofty. I wandered the Botanic Gardens and snoozed on park lawns, looking up at the patterns that the branches of the Honey Locust trees made against the sky. I explored the outer-lying country settlements of the Barossa Valley, which is only a bus ride away. I visited the Whispering Wall and endlessly browsed second-hand bookshops. Adelaide boasts pristine, calm beaches which are well worth visiting, as long as you are on the look-out for jelly fish and sunburn! Watching the sunset from Semaphore Beach was one of the highlights of my stay. The Central Market in the city is an eclectic meeting place of cultures, as well as a good spot for student-friendly meal or grocery prices. I experienced an authentically Australian evening with newly made local friends and enjoyed the live music of buskers in the streets.

    The Summer School course which I attended was Advanced Australian Constitutional Law. It allowed me to expand my international legal perspective and to conduct a comparative analysis between jurisdictions. The seminars were presented by several renowned professors, as well as some guest lecturers who are experts in their respective fields. It was interesting to hear from High Court barristers who are involved in current cases which will have significant implications for Australia’s implied freedom of speech, and to learn from former judges who witnessed the country’s Constitutional crisis which spanned the previous century. The course was very participation-orientated, and it was structured to facilitate a great deal of discussion and debate amongst the students. As well as writing three assigned essays, I was required to choose a topic for a research thesis, and to present my research proposal to the rest of the class. I opted to discuss the lack of an environmental protection clause in the Australian Constitution, and to explore to what extent this lack of direct environmental protection fails to align with contemporary Australian values. Approaching this research from my home Constitutional perspective provided interesting insight. The South African Constitution is relatively new, and it entitles all people to a protected environment which is not harmful to their well-being. In contrast, the Australian Constitution was drafted long ago in 1901. Thus, many important rights are missing from its provisions and have to be indirectly implied by the courts. Attending the course has augmented my understanding of the law, both in my home legal system and in the international sphere.

    Returning to South Africa

    I have traveled extensively in my life, yet touching down on South African soil never fails to instill in me a sense of immense gratitude to be returning to the land I call home. However, one can easily become disillusioned with the state of our country. Driving back to Stellenbosch, I am once again confronted with despicable inequality. It is undeniable that South Africa is rife with issues which desperately need to be addressed.

    Upon reflection, spending time with people from different walks of life in Australia has reaffirmed for me the knowledge that the grass really isn’t always greener on the other side. All nations face difficulties. South Africa’s difficulties and past injustices are extreme; they will never disappear. I hope that this, rather than driving people away, will make people want to stay and be a part of progress. I met someone on the aeroplane who was returning home to South Africa for the first time in nine years. When Table Mountain appeared in the distance, he had tears in his eyes.

    Should the opportunity present itself, I look forward to continuing to explore the world. But I know that South Africa will always be the place that I call home. Our natural environment is exquisite and diverse, our people are lively and resilient, and our culture is a wonderfully dynamic, growing amalgamation of vibrancy. South Africa has soul.

  • Marion Kretzschmar at Reutlingen University, Germany

    Marion Kretzschmar at Reutlingen University, Germany

    In December 2017, which was the end of my third year of my bachelor’s degree program in Industrial Engineering, I started to conduct some research about Stellenbosch’s partner universities in Germany.  My dream was to either complete my full masters at a German university or at least attend one semester.  Throughout my research, I coincidentally stumbled across Reutlingen University.  This university works in close collaboration with the Industrial Engineering department, offering a relatively unique opportunity for the master’s students:  a double degree program.  The Digital Industrial Management and Engineering master’s program is an exchange program where students have the opportunity to attend three semesters at their home university and one semester as an exchange student at the host university (German students would come to University Stellenbosch and the South African students would go to Reutlingen University).  In my view, this was a WIN-WIN situation, as I would be able to commence an exchange semester, while also receiving an additional master’s degree from a European university as well as one from Stellenbosch.

    Pre-departure

    Fortunately, I have a European Passport, which spared me from the tedious Visa application process.  Since I am also an international student at Stellenbosch, I was relatively well prepared regarding the application and registration process in a foreign country.   With help from our German study coordinator from Reutlingen, the application process was relatively simple.  He also put us South Africans in contact with the Reutlingen International Office (RIO), who contacted us regarding the accommodation.  We were lucky enough to apply for the student dormitories, situated directly on the campus grounds.

    Once I was accepted, I started conducting my research about the university.  One disadvantage was that the program we enrolled for is a very small degree program, and therefore only limited information could be found on the university website.  However, the German study coordinator was very helpful and helped a lot with all the arrangements in Germany.  He also informed me about all the different documents I need for the registration process at the university at the beginning of the Semester.  Surprisingly enough, even though Germany is a first world country, no documents are accepted in a digital format, only as a hard copy.  Luckily, throughout my past five years at University Stellenbosch, I have found it to be very useful to keep a digital backup of all documents, but also a file containing all the hard copies of all the documents that might be required by the university.  Through this, I was able to handle all unplanned and unforeseen situations successfully and seamlessly.

    The admin part aside – now the actual travel arrangements had to be done.  Since I was not entirely sure when my semester in Germany would start nor end, I only booked a one-way ticket to Germany.  I was lucky, and for me, it worked out relatively well regarding the pricing and time, but I would recommend to all the future exchange students to rather book a return ticket and also do it far in advance as it will, most likely, turn out cheaper.  It now seems like a girly thing to say – but packing turned out to be rather challenging.  One piece of advice – don’t bother to pack too much of your South African wardrobe – you won’t be able to use them.  Rather buy a nice winter jacket and a pair of boots in Germany, as they are geared for such temperature drops.

    Experience at the Host University:

    As I mentioned earlier, I am an international student at Stellenbosch as well, so I am used to being far away from home.  Therefore, the far distance from home did not bother me at all.  An additional advantage was that I also speak German fluently, so I did not experience any language barriers at all.  When I arrived in Reutlingen for the first time, thanks to google maps, I found the university very easily, without experiencing any problems.  I have arranged a meeting with the study coordinator in advance, who assisted me with the registration process as well as the key collections for the dormitories.  He showed me around the campus and also informed me about the different courses I will need to attend in order to meet the prerequisites of the program.

    Stating with the accommodation, I lived in a relatively new and modern building, directly on campus.  I shared a kitchen and two bathrooms with five other international students, two of them being the other South Africans attending the same course as me in Reutlingen.  We did a lot of different activities together, such as hiking, visiting different Christmas markets, or attending various events organized for the international students.  The university did not only offer events for international students, but also for the local students to join.  This made it very easy to meet new people.

    The academic courses that I attended were mainly focused on the new topic Industry 4.0 – digitisation, digitalisation, and digital transformation.  The classes were relatively small, ranging from five to twelve people per session.  Because I was enrolled in a double degree program, I was put in contact with one of the German professors, who became the co-supervisor of my master’s thesis.  He assisted me with my research project.  The courses were very interesting and informative as the subject matter is directly related to my research topic.

    As expected, because of the exceptionally well-functioning public transport system, traveling has been made very easy.  I have purchased the Naldo semester ticket, which is a ticket you purchase once-off and can travel throughout the surrounding areas without additional costs.  For longer distances, I would recommend Flixbus or BlaBlaCar.  Reutlingen has the advantage that it is situated relatively convenient – Stuttgart and Heidelberg are very close, and Munich is not too far away either.  Furthermore, Switzerland, as well as Austria, are also travel destinations, I would recommend to everyone, especially if you would like to have the full winter wonderland experience.  There are a few shops and pubs to visit in Tübingen, which is only 10 minutes by train and has a great nightlife.  It reminded me a lot about Stellenbosch, as it is also a rather smaller city and very student oriented as the whole city mainly consists out of the university.

    Return to Stellenbosch:

    Once I came back to South Africa, I had to make use of my car again in order to get somewhere further away.  The accessibility of long-distance locations is definitely made so much easier in Germany with public transport.  However, I have missed our beautiful Stellenbosch, the fact that all shops and clubs are within walking distance away from the university and my flat, my friends, our campus and also the beautiful Winelands and mountains.  I am grateful that I had the opportunity to go to a foreign country, meet new friends, widen my network, and also experience some kind of personal growth as well.  I have learned to be more open towards meeting new people and also not being too shy to ask for help if needed.

     

  • Lize Victor at University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Lize Victor at University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Pre-departure:


    Here you should focus on your preparations for your trip abroad. It should include information about the visa application, as well as suggestions or “tips” regarding what works well and/or areas for improvement.

    At first glance, the pre-departure process for this exchange seemed quite daunting and complicated. Everything was actually very straight forward once you started the process. Learning agreements had to be completed and the complexity of this largely depended on how easily courses at our host universities could be found. Some course catalogues were simple to follow while others were slightly more intricate. The upside of this was that it really encouraged an in depth look into the courses we wanted to do at each university, allowing for a much clearer picture of which universities we preferred. Personally, once I knew which university offered the courses most in line with my interests, I felt much more comfortable and at peace with my top 3 choices. UvA had a good mix of softer business subjects that I wanted to take such as Retail Marketing, Human Resources Management, and Strategic Management.

    In terms of the visa process, much of the brunt work was handled by the university when we filled in the online application on SunLearn. All that was required from us was to make the appointment at our nearest embassy and to provide the documents outlined on their websites. Due to the routine nature of sending students abroad on exchange and the online SU application (I was already in their system), my visa appointment took a total of five minutes. Important to note is that these appointments need to be made with a safe window of time before you leave on exchange. My visa only took 3 days to be approved, but sometimes it can take much longer. Furthermore, when you go to the appointment, they will take possession of your passport while your visa is getting approved (usually not longer than 2 to 3 weeks), so do not plan any trips where you will need your passport while this is taking place. Your visa will only be valid for 3 months once it is placed in your passport. After this, you will get your temporary (6 month) residence permit at your host university. This is generally the most important document to carry once you are on exchange, though you will always need your passport to cross any border, even in Europe. Additionally, remember not to compare or equate your process with the processes of others going to different universities – every situation is different. Do thorough research (websites, past experiences, call the embassies), make clear lists of tasks that need to be completed and documents that need to be completed before your appointment.

    Areas for improvement include more clarity of what is expected of students and the illumination of certain warnings since not all students have the same background knowledge of visa processes. Having someone to individually give advice (mentorship program for International Business) will definitely be helpful with regard to the visa processes.

    Experience at the Host University:


    This section should include information about the academic programme, as well as other activities done during your stay abroad. Describe the academic programme in detail and more importantly compare your experience with what you have experienced at Stellenbosch University.

    The Dutch grading system works on a scale of 1 to 10, one being the worst and 10 the best. Six is the minimum passing grade (this may vary module to module), with most students attaining grades from 6 to 8. Nine is rarer and ten is very rarely attained. There are three blocks in a semester, the first two consisting of eight weeks, and the last one consisting of four weeks. We have to attain 30 ECTS, which generally means five subjects. In my experience, it was much easier to do 3 in the first block and 2 in the second. There tends to be a lot going on in Amsterdam/Europe over Christmas time so focusing on 3 instead of 2 subjects later on in the semester would have been more difficult. In the first block I took Human Resource Management, Retail Marketing, and Cultural Industries, and in the second I took Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategic Management.

    Compared to Stellenbosch, actual contact hours each week for classes are quite low since there are so few subjects being taken at a time. In my subjects, lecture slides were organized per week. During lectures, I would take notes as the lecturer went along with their slides, and then whatever I did not finish I would go back over later and complete. I found that this helped me keep up with the general content, which I would then go and fill in with more detail with the textbook before the exam. The workload for my subjects was very manageable if they were kept up with in this way. For some subjects there were weekly group assignments and presentations, but generally most of the pressure came the week before the exam. Many of the tutorials are compulsory but will allow you to miss one, so coordinate travels with those dates/timetables before booking anything. The final grade of my subjects was usually made up of a group project/assignment and then an exam (some other subjects will have midterms during week four of the block). Exams were mostly multiple choice.

    In my opinion, setting goals before going on exchange is very important. I went into exchange with two focuses in mind: doing well in my studies but also leaving enough time to travel in between. Going away almost every weekend, travelling to Germany, Sweden, Czechia, Italy, Spain, Ireland, France, and Belgium, I went to many more places than I had intended. Realistically, the only way to do this is to work hard during the week, keep up to date with the work, so that you can travel during weekends. It was exhausting at times, but I do not regret anything regarding my travels and how I found the balance between academics and fun. I adored Amsterdam and don’t doubt that it was the best setting for my incredible exchange experience.


    Return to Stellenbosch:

    Write about the process of returning to life in Stellenbosch / South Africa, and how your experience abroad changed your perspective on certain things in South Africa. Also refer to how your trip possibly influenced your future plans and if you are planning to go abroad again.

    Amsterdam will always hold a special place in my heart. The people are blunt but friendly, the public transport is simple, the outskirts are wholesome, and the city center is exciting and fun; there is something for everyone. Amsterdam is extremely liberal/egalitarian and exceptionally diverse. The first time you venture into the city is somewhat of a baptism of fire: with its coffee shops and red-light districts. South Africa was a lot more conservative than I had previously realized, and returning home highlighted that fact even more. In terms of navigating the city, it must be one of the simplest cities for South Africans, especially Afrikaans South Africans. While everyone speaks excellent English, much of the administrative side of exchange is in Dutch (e.g. banking). Having a handle on the language gives you an instant advantage and makes everything go smoother.

    The contrasts between a first world country like the Netherlands and a third would country like South Africa really came into focus. Safety, efficiency, progressiveness, education, all these things are starkly different between the two countries, but both have upsides and downsides. The Netherlands, while being beautiful and technologically advanced, was very expensive and still lacked a sense of warmth that South Africa has. South Africa is dangerous and has problems like load shedding and draught, but in the end, it is home.

    After I flew back on the 27th of January, having spent a month in Amsterdam without actually having class (I got a job during that month), I only had a few days to get my things together and catch up with my family before coming back to Stellenbosch. The readjustment process was easier than I had thought, considering many people had previously discussed how surprisingly difficult it was. I attribute that to the fact that my three best friends in Stellenbosch are also studying International Business, had gone on exchange, and therefore had gone through similar experiences as me. It helps to talk about it. That being said, it was also just so nice seeing everyone and being back where things made sense and you had the support of your people. I do find myself missing the feeling of Amsterdam sometimes. There was something freeing (though sometimes isolating) about the anonymity of the city.

    Having friends back in South Africa who understand what you went through on exchange is a huge advantage. Stick close to your International business group because they can help make your transition back into South African university life a lot more seamless. Exchange was such a massive learning experience, housing tough times and good times equally well. It teaches you to shoulder the weight and responsibility of being an adult on your own, because that’s difficult to simulate in your own country, in your own comfort zone. Being abroad for six months really opens your eyes to the possibility of more beyond South Africa. Everything feels less far away than it did before. I would love to do a masters abroad or become an expatriate for a portion of my life at some point. However, I mostly grew up in Europe and the USA (living in Belgium, Czechia, and Arkansas), so for now I want to stay here and make a life for myself in South Africa.